Gojju Avalakki - Poha with Tamarind Sauce

Avalakki.. pavalakki.. kanchina.. mina mina .....dam dum dus pus... oh, how I miss this little Kannada rhyme. We used to play this game as kids. The players sit around forming a circle, stretching their hands..pressing their palms against the ground. One person starts singing the rhyme and touches each one's palm as he/she sings along. The last palm thats touched by the time the song ends, flips his/her palm. This way the game continues..and the player who has both palms touched, is a winner..well, something like that. I seem to have forgotten it. Whatever, it brings in warm memories of those lazy afternoons with cousins.

The rhyme reminds me of this dish called Gojju Avalakki. This has to be amongst the favorites of many who have tasted it. But alas, my Dad and Brother beg to differ. But I....hmmm love this. Gojju Avalakki is an easy to make breakfast dish. I usually do this on weekends so that I can relish it in leisure. I had taken down the recipe from my mom before coming to US. First time when I tried it, I had messed up with the quantity of tamarind and chili powder. It tasted bland. Yet my husband ate it quietly without saying a word :). By second time, I got it right.. and I've been cooking it ever since.

Avalakki is also known as Poha, beaten rice, etc. It’s better to use the thick or may be medium flakes for this. Don't use the paper-light Poha. I don't know the literal translation for Gojju in Hindi or English. So, I would simply call this recipe as 'Poha with Tamarind Sauce'

Ingredients:

Avalakki: 1 cup (I roughly use about 3 handful of avalakki for 2 people)
Tamarind paste: 1 spoon (I've used concentrated paste)
Chili Powder/Sambhar powder: 1-1.5 spoons (again, as per your taste)
Grated Jaggery: roughly about 1.5 spoons
Salt to taste
Onions chopped: 1/2 cup (optional)

Seasoning:


Cooking Oil: about 6 spoons
Mustard seeds, Jeera, Urad dal, dry red chili’s (1 or 2), curry leaves, Turmeric Powder (a pinch) and Asafoetida (a pinch)

Garnishing:

Grated Dry Coconut (Copra)
Groundnuts/Peanuts: roasted or fried in about a teaspoon of oil
Finely chopped cilantro leaves

Method:

First of all, coarsely grind avalakki for few seconds in a mixer. Make sure not to powder it. Wash avalakki with water and drain it. Soak it in water for few minutes until it gets soft.

In the meanwhile, prepare the Gojju - Tamarind Sauce.
Dilute the tamarind concentrate with about 1/2 cup of water.
Heat a small pan with a couple of spoon of oil. Before the oil gets too hot, add in the tamarind paste, jaggery powder and sambhar powder. Add salt too and let this cook for couple of minutes. Once done, mix this sauce gently to the soaked avalakki.

Heat oil in a large pan. Add in all the seasoning ingredients in the order mentioned. Add Asafoetida in the end. Add in onions and fry till it turns pink. At this point, add the avalakki mixture (with tamarind sauce), groundnuts and dry grated coconut. Cook for a minute. Garnish it with cilantro leaves. This can be served hot or cold.

Cooking time: 15 mins. Serves: 2 people.

Note:

• Traditional recipe for Gojju Avalakki does not include onions. I've used it here in my recipe because I love anything with onions. To use it or not to : is your choice.


• I like to eat this along with thick yogurt (curds). It tastes good as it is.


• Gojju Avalakki is of Khatta-meetha types. Vary the quantity of tamarind, jaggery, chili powder and salt as per your taste.


• You can also sprinkle a little of Yellu Pudi (White Til powder). It adds to the taste.


• Yeah, one last thing. In the picture you can see that the avalakki is not coarsely grinded. My mixer is conked off and hence.